EDITORIAL - Reef recovery

Nearly two years after a US Navy minesweeper ran aground on Tubbataha Reef, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Washington has agreed to pay the Philippines P87 million in compensation for damaging more than 2,000 square meters of the marine sanctuary.

The USS Guardian had to be cut into several sections to extricate the ship from the reef with the least additional damage to the corals. It is not yet clear how the minesweeper went off course and got stuck in shallow waters in the protected area in the Sulu Sea. The US government apologized and promised to compensate for the damage, but payment had to wait for the end of litigation involving the incident.

With the two governments agreeing on the payment of P87 million, efforts must now be intensified to improve protection of the marine sanctuary. Tubbataha has such an extensive reef network, with biodiversity so rich the sanctuary has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Like much of the country’s coral reefs, Tubbataha suffered for decades from destructive forms of fishing and coral harvesting by both Filipinos and foreign poachers. Increased public awareness of the importance of coral reefs in the marine ecosystem helped save Tubbataha from greater destruction.

Protecting the marine sanctuary has not been easy in a country where resources for environmental protection are stretched thin. The Guardian accident, however, should remind authorities that Tubbataha is a national treasure that deserves better protection.

Nurturing coral reefs is crucial for the nation’s food security. The reefs serve as spawning grounds for marine life and help maintain a healthy marine ecosystem. Yet much of the country’s vast coral network continues to be threatened by destructive fishing methods, coral harvesting, pollution, and periodic infestations of the coral-damaging crown-of-thorns starfish. It can take decades before coral reefs can recover from extensive damage. Tubbataha cannot afford more destruction.